


Simplify

by xEnchanted



Series: Candle Wax and Polaroids [3]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 12:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15818604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xEnchanted/pseuds/xEnchanted
Summary: Levi helps Cath move in for her Junior year. (follow up to The Few Things)





	Simplify

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. This part is more of a drabble, no real plot-moving but there's some cute Cath/Levi moments. I hope you enjoy!

_Simplify by Young the Giant_

 

**Fall Semester 2013, Junior Year**

 

There was a boy in her room. Well, the same boy that’s been in her room the past two years.

 

“Do you wanna start unpacking now?” Levi asked as he set the last of her boxes onto her desk.

 

“Ugh, no,” Cath said, flopping down onto her bare mattress. He leaned against the bed.

 

“We can take a break if you want. Get coffee, grab some food?” He smiled at her.

 

“Coffee sounds amazing,” she sat up.

 

“Okay, coffee it is.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

 

She hopped off the bed just as the door opened. It was Reagan, feet first, with an unlit cigarette in her mouth and her purse hanging off her shoulder.

 

She moved in a few days early, _graduate student perks_ she had told Cath. She was working towards her masters now in Psychology.

 

Another so called graduate perk was living in a nicer dorm. They had their own bathroom and shared a personal common room and kitchen with another room — Wren’s room.

 

Wren had made new friends their sophomore year, her new roommate Jenny being one of them.

 

Reagan threw her purse on top of the pile of unpacked things that still took over her desk, before saying “hey” to them through gritted teeth. She hopped onto her bed.

 

“Hey,” Cath said warily, “Everything okay?”

 

“Work scheduled me to work almost every night this week after I told them that I can’t work every night anymore. Grad classes are at night.” The cigarette was rolling between her fingers now. She was attempting to quit smoking, so now she usually just fiddled with unlit cigarettes.

 

“Can’t you just tell them again that you can’t work nights?” Levi suggested.

 

“Well I guess I have to since these morons didn’t listen to me the first time.” She huffed.

 

“Well, we were just heading out for coffee...” Cath started.

 

“What do you want us to get you?” Levi asked.

 

“An iced coffee, sweetener only,”

 

“So soul style?” Levi cracked a smile.

 

“Yes, that coffee better be as dark as my soul.” She said.

 

W **r** en walked into the common room with their dad just as Cath and Levi walked out of Cath’s room.

 

“Hey kids,” Her Dad greeted them.

 

“Hey Dad, we’re going to go get coffee. Want anything?” Cath asked.

 

“Iced white mocha please,” Wren said on the way to her room.

 

“Just a regular hot coffee with cream and sweetener,” Her Dad said.

 

“Done and done,” Levi said, giving them both a smile.

 

“We’ll be back soon,” Cath called over her shoulder as she headed towards the door.

* * *

Levi, still knowing everyone at Starbucks on a personal level, was still able to get coffee for free.

 

He got her an iced caramel-pumpkin latte, and himself a regular coffee with a hint of cinnamon and almond milk. They sat down at a table together.

 

“Sweetheart, try this,” he held his drink out to her, “the almond milk completely changes the whole thing I swear.” 

 

She took a sip. It was definitely different. Levi was always able to appreciate complex or new flavors better than she was.

 

“Hmm, definitely not regular coffee,” she said, handing it back to him. He laughed.

 

“I’m a little upset my cups no longer have suggestive innuendos written them,” she said, taking of a sip of her latte.

 

“Oh yeah?” He raised an eyebrow, “I can start carrying a sharpie around with me if you’d like.”

 

“I’m surprised you don’t already,” she said, pushing her foot against his under the table.

 

“I know, I’m really dropping the ball here.” He smiled, pushing back against her foot.

* * *

Wren was in her room, unpacking with the door the partially closed when they got back.

 

Cath left her family’s drinks on the table and went into her room.

 

Reagan was laying on her bed, looking at her phone.

 

“Hey,” Cath said, walking into their room, Levi a step behind her.

 

“Hey,” Reagan replied, not looking up.

 

“Got you something,” Levi said, shaking her drink so the ice clinked, taking a step closer to her. “Made sure it was as dark as your soul, if not darker.”

 

She sat up and took it. “Thanks.”

 

Cath started to unpack. Her clothes were already hung up thanks to Wren’s makeshift garment bags made out of plastic garbage bags. She put her pajamas away in her drawers and began to organize her desk. Levi helped put up her posters.

 

She collapsed onto her bed after she made it.

 

“I’m exhausted,” she said against her pillow.

 

“You’re telling me,” Reagan murmured from her side.

 

Levi pushed his foot against the back of hers from his spot at her desk.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Cather, are you tired?” He asked, tapping the sole of her foot again.

 

“Yes,”

 

“Need to nap before dinner?” He offered. It was only three.

 

“Desperately,” she looked over at him. He was smiling.

 

“Alright,” he got up, reaching his hand out towards her.

 

She groaned a little before getting up, taking his hand. “We’ll be back later.”She told Reagan, who just waved, not looking away from Netflix playing from her phone. 

* * *

Cath basically collapsed onto the bed once they were in Levi’s apartment, moaning as she hit the mattress. Levi was lucky she kicked off her shoes before she dropped. He had the A/C turned up so she pulled his quilt over her, shoving her face into the pillow. He giggled as he watched her from the other side of the bed.

 

He leaned over and held onto her shoulder gently, kissing the side of her face. She let out another moan, this time more satisfied.

 

“Sleep sweetheart,” he whispered into her ear.

 

She did.

__________

When she woke up, Levi’s arms were wrapped around her, his face shoved into her shoulder.

 

She exhaled and closed her eyes again, content in this position. Before she remembered they were supposed to meet up with her family soon.

 

She opened her eyes and reached for her phone.

 

“5:34pm” flashed at the top of her screen. _Shit_. They were supposed to meet back with her family by six-thirty.

 

Levi moved slightly behind her, his face pressing against her neck. She could feel his warm, leveled breath hit her skin.

 

She closed her eyes. Was a sleeping emergency a thing? _Sorry Dad and Wren, Levi’s bed was too comfortable and warm and we’ve been up since six so we just really needed to nap_.

 

Yeah, no _._

 

But she still didn’t move, still didn’t open her eyes again.

 

Until Levi’s alarm went off at five-fifty.

 

She groaned, and so did Levi, quietly, but she felt the rumble against her neck.

 

“No,” he groaned, shoving his face against her neck like he was trying to get deeper.

 

She giggled. It was always funny to her when Levi was grumpy, because he was _so_ not a grumpy person.

 

His warmth left her neck momentarily as he turned the alarm off. Then it was back, his nose shoved against her neck.

 

“Cather,” he said, muffled against her neck.

 

“Yeah?” She didn’t move, letting him nuzzle into her. It felt really nice and weirdly intimate.

 

“Let’s stay here,” His voice was soft, like he was serious.

 

“I wish we could,” she said, yawning. He groaned again, but keep rubbing his face against her neck and shoulders.

 

“But, we can come back afterwards.” She offered.

 

“Hmm, alright.” He kissed her neck a few times before reluctantly untangling himself from her.

* * *

They all went to the pizza place. Like, _all_ of them. Reagan and Jenny included.

 

Reagan was already not too fond of Wren, but she _really_ wasn’t liking Jenny.

 

She rolled her eyes at almost everything she said during dinner. Cath was surprised her eyes didn’t roll out of her head.

 

She rode back to campus in the truck with Cath and Levi.

 

“She’s trying too hard,” Reagan said over the radio.

 

“She’s a year younger than me. She’s nice though.” Cath said.

 

“I don’t like nice people,”

 

“Hey, you like me,” Levi chimed in.

 

“That’s the max. Quota is filled. One nice person per a lifetime,”

 

“She can take my spot.”

 

“Ugh that’s such a nice person thing to say.”

* * *

Cath and Wren said goodbye to their dad when they got back.

 

“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself,” Cath said as she pulled away from their hug. They were standing outside of their dorm building in front of the car.

 

“I will Cath, stop worrying.” Her Dad said. “Besides, I’ll still have a watchdog every other weekend.” He pointed towards Wren who sighed.

 

“How long do I have to be punished for a mistake I made freshmen year?” Wren said, crossing her arms.

 

“Until I stop having nightmare-flashbacks of that day every other night.” He pulled both of them close again.

 

“You two be good, okay? And don’t think about your old man too much.”

_______

When they got back upstairs, Levi was spread out across the couch. Jenny was sitting at the table in the middle of the room. He was using Cath’s throw blanket, with his head resting on top of the Carry On pillow Cath put on the couch.

 

“Hey,” he greeted them as they walked back into the room, his face lit up. Cath smiled and walked over to him.

 

“Hi,” she said, leaning down to kiss him. She sat down on the edge of the couch in front of him. He rested his hand on the curve of her hip.

 

“What’ve you guys been up to?” Wren asked as she took a seat at the table.

 

“In the last five minutes? Learned each other’s life stories, began historic research on Nebraska, began reading the encyclopedia in its entirety,” Levi went on, grinning.

 

“Alright, we get it.” Wren groaned. 

 

“We just introduced ourselves. Levi was telling me about his Ranch.” Jenny told her. Levi sat up and wrapped his arms around Cath, pulling her back a little.

 

“Oh yeah, we know about the ranch,” Wren said, “what time is your first class tomorrow?”

 

“Not until after twelve,”

 

“Perfect.” Wren stood up, “we can watch the newest episode of DTE.”

 

“Oh totally!” Jenny stood up too, “nice talking to you. Have a good night guys!” She and Wren went into their room and closed the main door. 

 

Levi kissed the side of Cath’s face a few times before asking, “is your first class early tomorrow?”

 

“No”

 

“Good,” he gave her another kiss, “come home with me.”

 

“Hmm, I should probably stay in my room the for the first night,”

 

“Cather,” he whined. She giggled.

 

“Come home with me,” he asked again, “even if you can only stay for tonight.”

 

“Hmm okay.” She agreed, smiling. He immediately attacked her neck again, pushing them both sideways on the couch. She laughed.

* * *

It was dark and cool now in the apartment. The soft humming of the TV was the first thing Cath heard when she opened her eyes.

 

She couldn’t read the clock next to her without her glasses, so she slowly grabbed her phone from the end table. Levi’s arms were around her, giving her limited mobility. _Three twenty-four a.m._

 

She groaned and put the phone back. She glanced over at the TV, an infomercial was playing about non-stick pans. If she fell asleep first, Levi always accidentally left the TV on.

 

She tried to feel around the bed for the remote. She pushed her hand behind her, in between the two of them. Her wrist was grabbed after a moment, she gasped and turned around.

 

Levi’s eyes were only half open, he planted a kiss on her wrist.

 

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” He asked lowly, his voice full of sleep. He played with her fingers.

 

“Trying to turn off the TV,” she explained. Her voice was almost as groggy as his. He kissed her wrist once more before letting go, reaching behind himself to grab the remote. He turned the TV off before rolling back over to Cath, wrapping his arms lazily around her.

 

“Sorry sweetheart,” he pressed his nose against hers. She relaxed in his arms. She wrapped her arm and one leg around him.

 

“I missed you,” she said. He giggled.

 

“It’s only been like three hours,” he kissed the tip of her nose. She shook her head.

 

“No. I missed _you_. I missed you being less than ten minutes away. I missed not having to wait weeks to see you,”

 

“So not a matter of time, but distance,” he said with a lazy smile. She nodded and kissed him, moving her hand to rest on his cheek.

 

“I missed you too, Cather,” he told her, kissing the tip of her nose again, “time and distance wise.”

 

She snuggled him as close as possible. “Sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep.”

 

“Don’t be stupid,” he said, rubbing her back.

 

“You have to wake up soon.”

 

“I’ll go to sleep as long as you do too.”

 

“Fine, Goodnight.” She pushed her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. He giggled again.

 

“Goodnight sweetheart,” he kissed the side of her head, “I love you, Cather.” His voice was low again.

 

“I love you too,” she mumbled against his shoulder.

 

He squeezed her close once before closing his eyes too. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have this series mostly mapped out (I even have future chapters (out of order) completed) but I'm trying to decide what comes next for the September chapter so sorry if that one takes a bit longer to come out!  
> Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, thanks!


End file.
